Pearls of Wisdom
by Tato Potato
Summary: Cal is a newly qualified doctor and Ethan is still at school. Ethan's wisdom teeth need to be removed but he is afraid of the dentist and of needles, will Cal be there for him when he needs him?
1. Chapter 1

Young Ethan was feeling the pressure, he had been hard at work preparing for his exams. He was desperate to get the grades that he needed to in order to study medicine at the University that he wanted to go to. He got up that morning feeling exhausted, he couldn't understand why he was so tired. He had slept for nearly 12 hours and felt as though he had only slept for 3 hours. He hauled himself out of bed, putting a hand to his throbbing cheek. He had been up all night trying to stop the pain once and for all.

He sat down at the table with a slice of toast. He hoped that it would be easier than the day before where he had been unable to eat and had skipped lunch and dinner as well. He was really hungry but he had to be careful because it was really uncomfortable. Cal hurried downstairs after him and began making his own food. Ethan yelped in pain as he took a bite of his toast. The pain rippled throughout his face and tears began to run down his cheeks. 'Nibbles, are you okay?' Cal asked him concernedly. Ethan shook his head and placed a hand on his cheek.

'What's wrong?' Cal asked him. He crouched on the ground beside his brother and looked at him sympathetically.

'It hurts when I eat, I thought it would be better, I took lots of paracetamol earlier to stop it hurting but if anything it has gotten worse' Ethan moaned. Cal placed a hand on his shoulder.

'Where does it hurt?' Cal asked.

'Right at the back, I can't brush my teeth without it hurting either' Ethan complained, tears flowing down his face.

'Alright, on a scale of one to ten how bad is the pain?' Cal inquired.

'About an eight' Ethan muttered.

'Alright, do you mind if I take a look?' Cal asked. Cal was a newly qualified doctor and was working at the training hospital. He had been issued with a simple medical kit which he kept at home incase he needed it.

Ethan nodded. Cal ran to fetch his bag. He pulled out a pair of latex gloves and put them on. He led Ethan to the sofa where he told him to lie down so he could take a look. Ethan sat down and made himself comfortable whilst Cal prepared himself.

'Promise you won't bite me alright!' Cal instructed as he began his examination.

He looked carefully and ran a finger along the gums at the back of his jaw to see if there was anything there that might be causing the problem. Ethan howled with pain as he put a finger on the gum.

'Sorry buddy! It looks like you might have your wisdom teeth coming through. They can be quite painful. What I'll do is book you an appointment at the dentist as soon as possible to get it checked out, it might mean that they need removing but we won't know until you see the dentist' Cal explained as he took off his gloves.

Ethan sighed. He hated the dentist, ever since he was a kid. He had been having one of his teeth removed and the anaesthetic wasn't working as well as it should have done and ever since he had been afraid. 'I'll come with you if you want' Cal offered. Ethan nodded gratefully, there was no way on earth that he would go on his own.

Cal made the call whilst he was at work and booked an appointment for that afternoon because he knew if it was any later Ethan would try and find an excuse not to go. Cal picked him up from college and drove him straight to the dentist. He brought an icepack from work to give to his brother which he held against his cheek to try and bring the swelling down and make it more comfortable.

Ethan held Cal's hand tightly as he was led into a room and told to sit on the chair. He wanted to turn and run out of the room but he knew that he had to face the dentist if he wanted the pain to end. He nervously climbed onto the chair and sat back.

'Now what can I do for you?' The dentist asked. Ethan's hands trembled.

'He's been suffering with a bad toothache, it seems to be coming from the back of his jaw and I think it might be his wisdom teeth' Cal explained after noticing his brother's nervousness.

'Okay, lets take a look and see what we are dealing with' The dentist muttered donning a mask and a pair of latex gloves. Ethan began to shake as the dentist came closer.

'Its alright nibbles, trust me, he won't hurt you. Don't be scared, because I'm here and I won't let them hurt you, I promise' Cal whispered, taking Ethan's hand in his.

Ethan let the dentist take a quick look but began to panic when he started reaching for his equipment. He began to fidget on the chair and started struggling to breathe. The dentist returned the equipment to the tray. 'Ethan! Ethan, calm down mate' Cal instructed. He crouched beside the chair where his brother lay. 'Listen to me nibbles, the dentist isn't going to do anything alright, he's not going to hurt you' Cal told him.

Ethan grabbed his hand tightly. 'Here, give me your other hand' Cal instructed him. He placed Ethan's hands on his broad chest. He took a couple of deep breaths so his brother could mimic his actions. 'Good work nibbles, keep breathing deeply, there we go.'

Ethan eventually calmed down enough so the dentist could finish the examination. They took him for an x-ray. Cal waited for his brother to get back so that they could find out what the problem was. He let Ethan sit on his lap and held him tight when he saw him return with a tear stained face. He looked like he had been to hell and back. 'Come here buddy, its alright, I promise.' He said pulling him into the tight embrace.

'Alright, we can see from the x-ray that it is in fact his wisdom teeth, and it looks as though they are coming in at an angle, we have no choice but to remove them. I can book him in for monday next week if that suits.' The dentist explained. Ethan began to tremble. Cal pulled him close and took his hands in his.

'Look at me Nibbles, everything will be okay. Trust me. I'll be with you and I won't let anything happen' Cal told him. He led him out of the room and took him home. Ethan was getting himself stressed out about the operation which he was to face on Monday.

On Sunday Cal took Ethan to the shops to get as much food as they could which Ethan would be able to eat whilst he was recovering. They bought yoghurts, fruit which could be made into a smoothie, ice cream, puddings and some ice packs which he could use to make the swelling go down. The dentist had given them a list of medications which could help make the pain go away and stop the swelling.


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so sorry for the lack of any new stories or updates, I have been busy with IB and other commitments, I have also been working hard in a massive new story which will hopefully be done soon and I will upload that as soon as it is ready, but for now you will just have to put up with the next part of this story! Enjoy :)**

On the day of the surgery Ethan was not allowed to eat so Cal didn't either. He felt that it would be unfair if he could eat when he knew his brother was really hungry. He threw an arm around Ethan's shoulder as they left the house. He made the short car journey to the dental surgery and pulled up outside. Ethan was in flood of tears and was getting himself worked up.

'Come on Eth, it's going to be fine. I'm staying with you until they put you to sleep and then I will wait in the waiting room for you when you have the surgery. i'm not going anywhere' he told his frightened brother.

'But it will hurt like last time, a-and what if I-I don't wake up?' Ethan stammered.

'Stop thinking like that, it won't happen. As soon as you are ready to leave the dentist we'll go home and stick on a movie and watch it together until we fall asleep. I've taken time off work whilst you are recovering so we can do anything you want' Cal told him.

He climbed out of the car before helping his brother who was fretting. They walked in to the waiting room and Cal went to tell them that they were here for their appointment. The dental nurse appeared moments later to take Ethan for his operation. Ethan grabbed his brother and started panicking. They took him to the room but before they even walked through the door Ethan collapsed. He was having a panic attack and couldn't breathe. Cal lay him on the ground and cradled him in his arms. 'Listen buddy, you are having a panic attack so you need to breathe. Listen to me. Take a nice deep breath' he took his brother's hands and placed them on his chest. He took a few deep breaths and slowed his breathing down as much as he could to help Ethan calm down. 'We haven't even got into the room yet Nibbles, come on mate lets just calm down and go inside' he whispered. He carried his brother into the room, Ethan still had is hands on his brother's chest. He could feel the rhythmic beating of Cal's heart thudding inside his chest. He calmed down and the dentist entered the room.

'Hello, what's your name?' The dentist asked the frightened young man.

Cal stepped forward. 'His name's Ethan and I am Cal his brother' he said introducing them.

'Right then Ethan, there is nothing to be frightened of, all we are going to do in the next few minutes is get you on some oxygen and then we will give you some anaesthetic to make you fall asleep. As soon as that happens we will do the procedure and then before you know it you will wake up and it will be just like having a nap' the dentist assured him.

'W-will it hurt?' Ethan asked.

'I'm afraid you may feel some discomfort afterwards but if you have all of the medication from the list, that will be very minimal and should be easily managed' the dentist murmured.

Cal helped him sit on the chair and get comfortable. As the nurse placed the oxygen mask on his face he started fidgeting. 'Hey, nibbles, its just oxygen. Its nothing to be afraid of' Cal soothed as he stroked his brother's arm.

'He's right, we won't give you any anaesthetic until you are ready and we will tell you when we do it' the nurse assured him.

Ethan settled down and held onto Cal's hand. The nurse prepared the equipment and the dentist ordered her to insert a cannula into his arm. 'Right, Ethan we are going to put a cannula in so we can give you some medicine but we won't give you the medicine yet, okay' he murmured. The nurse approached the chair with the tray and equipment.

Cal turned Ethan's head so he was facing him. 'Look at me and ignore what they are doing' he whispered as he stroked his hair. Ethan whimpered as the needle made contact with the skin on his right arm. 'Ssshhh, its alright, keep looking at me' Cal murmured to his brother.

A few minutes later the dentist alerted them to the fact that they were ready to continue with the procedure. Ethan began to tremble. 'Its okay mate, they will just give you some medicine which will make you feel tired so you should probably just go with it and sleep. When you wake up I will be right here with you and I'll take you home' Cal whispered.

Ethan clutched his arm tightly and tried to get out of the chair. He was still feeling rather light headed after the panic attack. Cal pushed him back into the seat and held him tightly. 'Listen, I will stay until you fall asleep, we can sing a song whilst they give you the medicine if you like?!' Cal suggested. Ethan nodded. The nurse placed the oxygen mask back onto his face and began injecting the anaesthetic. Cal began with a chorus of 'ten green bottles' which made Ethan giggle as the anaesthetic was administered. They sang together until they got to 8 green bottles by which point Ethan was fast asleep but his grip was still tight on Cal's arm. Cal prised his brother's hands off and left him with the dentist. He pulled out his phone and wandered into the waiting room.

Ethan had tried to fight the anaesthetic he knew that the moment he went to sleep he would be left at the hands of the dentist. His eye lids grew too heavy and soon they shut firmly with no sign of ever opening again. He could hear the faint sound of Cal singing as the firm grip of the anaesthetic took its hold.

Cal sat in the waiting room waiting impatiently for someone to tell him what was going on. He had been waiting for a while when a flustered looking dental nurse appeared. 'How is he?' Cal asked worriedly.

'He's fine, he's coming round from the anaesthetic a lot faster than we hoped so we should get in there quickly before he panics' the nurse told him.

Cal ran straight to the room where his brother was. Ethan's face was swollen, his mouth stuffed with cotton balls and his hair was dishevelled. Cal sat beside him just as he began to open his eyes. He stroked his hair gently and whispered 'hey mate, you did really well. Just stay calm I'm here now'. Ethan weakly reached out and grabbed Cal's hand. Tears formed in Cal's eyes. 'Yeah, I'm definitely here buddy' he murmured. The dental nurse handed Cal the relevant documents and Cal scooped his brother out of the chair and took him out to the car.

The dentist had removed the cotton balls and Ethan's face had stopped swelling. Cal lifted him into the car and took him home. When they got home Ethan began to get very agitated as he came off of the anaesthetic. He cried and sobbed as the pain steadily got worse. Cal knew that the only thing they could do was give him some paracetamol because of the medicine he had already had. Ethan cuddled up to Cal who held him tightly. 'I told you it wouldn't be that bad' Cal whispered.

Ethan muttered something incoherently which caused Cal to roar with laughter. 'I'm sure it does but it's better than having them in' he murmured. Ethan mumbled a response which made Cal laugh more. 'I'll ask the dentist if he can replace the wisdom he apparently stole from you then' he smiled. 'You just get some sleep, because you'll need it. Don't worry I'll get you up when you need some meds and ice' Cal assured him. He let his brother cuddle up to him closer and fell asleep, he had set an alarm on his phone so he could make sure he gave Ethan the medication.


	3. Chapter 3

**A huge thanks to the numerous reviews! I am so pleased that people are enjoying this story! This is the last chapter, so I hope you like it! I am sorry for the lack of stories I have posted recently, I have been busy but don't worry I am currently working on a massive Cal and Ethan story which is nearly finished so hopefully by the end of the week it will be uploaded! Enjoy :)**

Cal was getting Ethan some food which consisted of mashed potato when his phone started ringing in his pocket. He put the pot down and pulled it out of his pocket. 'Hello?' He stated wearily.

'Cal it's mum, I just wanted to check in with you guys, Ethan's not answering his phone is he with you?' She asked worriedly.

'Yeah he's fine, I'm just getting him some food!' He smiled.

'How about I call you back using that Skype thing that you taught me to use' she told him. Cal laughed before agreeing he set up his laptop on the coffee table in front of where he and Ethan had been sat. He then woke his little brother and helped him eat a couple of mouthfuls of the potato before the dial tone sounded.

Their mother answered the call and was really excited to get to see Cal. Ethan had purposely sat away from the camera because he was embarrassed by his swollen face. 'Where's Eth?' Their mother asked.

Cal gestured to his brother to sit beside him. When he did their mother was getting worried. 'What happened to you? Has Caleb hurt you?' She quizzed.

Ethan shook his head. Cal began to deny her accusations. 'No Ethan's not very well at the moment and so he needs to rest!' He told her. She began to get annoyed. 'I need to hear it from Ethan' she demanded.

'The thing is he can't speak, he had his wisdom teeth out yesterday and is in a lot of pain that's why he looks like a chipmunk!' Cal joked. Ethan rolled his eyes before lobbing a pillow at his brother's head. Everyone started laughing as the pillow hardly even touch Cal's arm let alone his head.

Ethan opened his mouth to speak, he tried to ask his mother how her trip was going but every word was distorted because of the swelling. It was frustrating but thankfully Ethan saw the funny side to it and started laughing hysterically which was joined by Cal. Suddenly Ethan yelped in pain. Cal leapt off of the sofa and helped Ethan off of the floor and onto the sofa. 'Alright buddy where does it hurt?' He asked concernedly.

Ethan pointed to his jaw. A few seconds passed and Cal's alarm on his phone sounded 'that would be why, it's time for some more medicine Nibbles!' Cal announced handed the pills to Ethan who took them and sat back onto the sofa comfortably.

'Are you sure you don't want me to come home early? I can easily get the next flight home if you need me' their mother spoke, her voice filled with a mother's worry and love for her sons.

'No don't worry about it, I promise I will take good care of him!' Cal murmured.

Their mother was still fussing over Ethan but Ethan couldn't hear her. He had fallen asleep on the sofa sucking his thumb.

'Please look after him Caleb. He might try and pretend that he is fine but he isn't he needs help' she whispered.

'I know I'm taking him out tomorrow and he isn't going to school until next week at the earliest!' Cal informed her.

'Its so nice to see you getting on so well! I miss you both so much and remember I still love you!' She told them

'We love you too! See you when you get back!' Cal called out before hanging up the call. He pulled a blanket from the cupboard and wrapped it around his brother. He carried Ethan to his room and brought the blow up mattress so he could sleep with him in case he needed anything. Soon the house was quiet apart from the soft snores coming from Ethan and the ear piercing snores coming from Cal.


End file.
